The Alternative Angler

[Ron Clay]

A very famous American angler (I forget who) once said that the first thing an angler wants to do is to catch as many fish as possible. The next step is to catch as big a fish as possible. The final stage is to try and catch the most difficult fish, irrespective of size.

I would add a further stage and that is to rejoice at still being able to go fishing at all.

Which stage are you in?

 

[GrahamM]

Same as you Ron.........

 

[john conway]

Not quite the last one yet Ron. By the way I've also heard that saying and agree with it.

 

[Murray Rogers]

PBs are great things to aim at and I often fish a water to try and up a PB, having said that I also pleasure fish, match fish on the open circuit, fly fish for spotties and even on occasion get out to sea.

First and foremost I fish for enjoyment and this comes in many different forms and will change from year to year. 20 years ago I was a diehard Carp angler who lived in the colne-valley, today I am fishing for big Bream, but no doubt it will change again, aslong as the interest is still there I will carry on doing it.

 

[Chris Bishop]

The beauty of fishing is surely you can set your own targets.

It might be just enjoy every day for the joy of being there. After all a bad day's fishing is better than a good day at the office, as someone once said.

Or it might be going all out for a double figure bream or barbel, a 200lb net on a commercial pool, or a 20lb pike on a Fen drain.

Either way, there's room for everyone out there. Let's enjoy it while we can.

 

[Wendy Perry]

I just love fishing wether i catch or not, i think it's so exciting night before your of to a new lake or even to the one you've visited many times. Thinking to yourself i wonder what i'll get tomorrow and can't wait to try this new bait all sorts go through my head the night before and on the way

 

[andrew jackson]

I dont put too much emphasis on pb's. Indeed the water I am currently fishing does not contain a fish that would break my pb. It is however, a difficult moody water, and any capture is considered a result. So at the moment it is the challenge that gives me the most pleasure.

 

[Ron Clay]

And finally I quote the words of Walker:

"When we go angling it's not the fish we want. Unless they are good to eat, we put them back. The pleasure in angling is overcoming the problems of catching them. The more difficult they are to catch, greater the problem; and the greater the pleasure will be when you eventually solve it."

This was taken from a letter to myself ca 1962 prior to forming the Northern Specimen Group.